A Comparison of the Best Sony Picture Profiles
Updated: Sep 15
All Sony Film Simulations Recipes Compared Side by Side
This is more of a Comparison for Color Nerds.
> For regular users I made a Real Life Comparison which you can find Here
> Or maybe try a Fujifilm vs Sony Classic Chrome Comparison Here
Well, I never thought we’d get here, to be honest. We have over 40 Sony Film Simulation Recipes! So in case you’ve been wondering what are the best Sony Picture Profiles for you – you’ll definitely find some cool ones here.
More film recipes = more interesting looks to play around with, more chances of getting great colors out of camera and less post-processing hassle! 🎞️
But as you probably know, when you have so many options to choose from, it gets pretty overwhelming, pretty fast. It’s the paradox of choice, after all.
I’m sure some of you have tried the Sony film simulations and had no idea where to start or which one is the best profile picture for your specific needs.
Will Cinestill 50D provide the right look for an evening outdoors, or is Ektachrome a better fit? And what about Eterna, with its soft and subtle tones?
It can get all confusing, I know. That’s why I created the Sony Film Simulation Chart. And that’s why I’m writing this article – to guide you in choosing the best film recipe for you.
I’m writing this article – to guide you in choosing the best Sony Picture Profiles + film simulations.
Besides that, I thought it would be super helpful to see the exact differences between all Sony film simulations and do a comparison of them on the Color Checker.
Let’s get started!
What are Sony Film Simulations?
If you’re not Familiar with Sony Film Simulations, they are Custom Sony Picture Profiles meant to replicate the look of popular film stocks. The goal is to get better colors out of the camera and to achieve a film-like look.
An added bonus, you’ll save a lot of time that you spend editing your shots.
You can check all Sony film simulations here →
I’ve shot all film picture profiles with a color checker – this way, you can see each Sony picture profile compared to Sony's standard colors. By seeing each color palette, you’ll have an easier time determining which one’s to your liking.
How to Navigate this Comparison Post
Before we get started, here’s what you’ll find under each sample:
Base Sony Picture Profile Settings with correct White Balance set with the Gray Card → The first picture you’ll see on each comparison. This will give you a good reference of the base colors and contrast you are starting with.
The next few images show the base film recipe combined with the color settings from the Sony Film Simulation Plan, showcasing different color palettes and moods.
You’ll find Capture One + Lightroom RAW Presets for each Sony film simulation for a seamless editing process.
How to Use these Images
Download your favorite's Film Simulation Color Checker Image and compare it with another Film Recipe to see how the Contrast & Colors will differ from one another, and which Colors Science best fit the mood of your vision.
Just like shown bellow.
By comparing the base look with Sony's Standard Colors or other Film recipes, it’s easier to determine which would best fit your needs , how are colors shifted and what mood will each film simulation give you.
I have a short Blog Article Explaining How to Read a Color Checker in an easy manner and how to translate it in Real World Situations.
You can >Check the Article Right Here<
Ideally, the comparison would have been shot outdoors, in a real-world setting – but that wasn’t really possible due to the time it took to complete this test (1 day) as the light would change dramatically outside – making these shots incomparable.
For maximum precision, I preferred to compare the Sony Picture Profiles in a controlled environment.
You'll see the before-and-after adjustments in-camera, and the different results you can achieve with the selected film profile and various color settings.
You can also download any of these samples to compare different film simulations.
All shots are straight out of camera JPEGs, re-exported to web size in Capture One.
Alright – let’s get to the fun bit!
Comparing Over 40 Sony Film Simulations to Help You Find The One You Love
Standard
Vektro100
Base▼ Base + Color Adjustment▼
Go to Vektro100 Lightroom Preset →
Go to Vektro100 Capture One Preset →
Senova Light
Base▼ Base + Color Adjustment▼
Go to Senova Light Lightroom Preset →
Go to Senova Light Capture One Preset →
FUJI400H
Base▼ Base + Color Adjustment▼
Go to Fuji 400H Lightroom Preset →
Go to Fuji 400H Capture One Preset →
EvPro+
Base▼ Base + Color Adjustment▼
Go to EvPro+ Lightroom Preset →
Go to EvPro+ Capture One Preset →
Ektar100
Base▼ Base + Color Adjustment▼
Go to Ektar 100 Lightroom Preset →
Go to Ektar 100 Capture One Preset →
Portra800
Base▼ Base + Color Adjustment▼
Go to Portra 800 Lightroom Preset →
Go to Portra 800 Capture One Preset →
Kodak Gold
Base▼ Base + Color Adjustment▼
Go to Kodak Gold Lightroom Preset →
Go to Kodak Gold Capture One Preset →
Blue Velvet - Cinestill 50D
Base▼ Base + Color Adjustment▼
Go to Blue Velvet - Cinestill 50D Lightroom Preset →
Go to Blue Velvet - Cinestill 50D Capture One Preset →
Sony Eterna - Low Fidelity
Base▼ Base + Color Adjustment▼
Go to Sony Eterna Lightroom Preset →
Go to Sony Eterna Capture One Preset →
Cinestill 800T Recipe
Base▼ Base + Color Adjustment▼
Go to Cinestill 800T Lightroom Preset →
Go to Cinestill 800T Capture One Preset →
Fuji Eterna Film Simulation - High Fidelity
Base▼ Base + Color Adjustment▼
Go to Fuji Eterna Lightroom Preset →
Go to Fuji Eterna Capture One Preset →
Classic Chrome
Base▼ Base + Color Adjustment▼
Go to Classic Chrome Lightroom Preset →
Go to Classic Chrome Capture One Preset →
KodaChrome 64 - V1
Base▼ Base + Color Adjustment▼
Go to KodaChrome 64 Lightroom Preset →
Go to KodaChrome 64 Capture One Preset →
KodaChrome 64 - V2
Base▼ Base + Color Adjustment▼
Go to KodaChrome 64 v2 Lightroom Preset →
Go to KodaChrome 64 v2 Capture One Preset →
Kodak Ultra Max 400
Base▼ Base + Color Adjustment▼
Go to Kodak Ultra Max 400 Lightroom Preset →
Go to Kodak Ultra Max 400 Capture One Preset →
Kodak Portra 400
Base▼ Base + Color Adjustment▼
Go to Kodak Portra 400 Lightroom Preset →
Go to Kodak Portra 400 Capture One Preset →
Fuji Astia film Simulation
Base▼ Base + Color Adjustment▼
Go to Fuji Astia Lightroom Preset →
Go to Fuji Astia Capture One Preset →
Classic Negative Film Simulation
Base▼ Base + Color Adjustment▼
Go to Classic Negative Lightroom Preset →
Go to Classic Negative Capture One Preset →
Fortia 50
Base▼ Base + Color Adjustment▼
Go to Fortia 50 Lightroom Preset →
Go to Fortia 50 Capture One Preset →
Superia 400
Base▼ Base + Color Adjustment▼
Go to Superia 400 Lightroom Preset →
Go to Superia 400 Capture One Preset →
Oktar
Base▼ Base + Color Adjustment▼
Go to Oktar Lightroom Preset →
Go to Oktar Capture One Preset →
Zero Mute
Base▼ Base + Color Adjustment▼
Go to Zero Mute Lightroom Preset →
Go to Zero Mute Capture One Preset →
CineChrome
Go to CineChrome Lightroom Preset →
Go to CineChrome Capture One Preset →
Portra 160
Go to Portra 160 Lightroom Preset →
Go to Portra 160 Capture One Preset →
Pro Color
Base▼ Base + Color Adjustment▼
Go to Pro Color Lightroom Preset →
Go to Pro Color - Capture One Preset →
Ektachrome
Base▼ Base + Color Adjustment▼
Go to Ektrachrome Lightroom Preset →
Go to Ektrachrome Capture One Preset →
Delta 3200
Go to Delta 3200 Lightroom Preset →
Go to Delta 3200 Capture One Preset →
T-Max 100
Go to T-Max 100 Lightroom Preset →
Go to T-Max 100 Capture One Preset →
Kosmo Pan
Go to Kosmo Pan Lightroom Preset →
Go to Kosmo Pan Capture One Preset →
Chroma Fade
Go to Chroma Fade Lightroom Preset →
Go to Chroma Fade Capture One Preset →
MidRed Infra
Go to MidRed Infra Lightroom Preset →
Go to MidRed Infra Capture One Preset →
Acros X - XY - XR - XG
4 Different Recipes
Go to Fuji Acros Lightroom Preset →
Go to Fuji Acros Capture One Preset →
DreamNeg
Go to DreamNeg Lightroom Preset →
Go to DreamNeg Capture One Preset →
Agfa Precisa
Go to Agfa Precisa Lightroom Preset →
Go to Agfa Precisa Capture One Preset →
Velvia Pro
Go to Velvia Lightroom Preset →
Go to Velvia Capture One Preset →
RedScale Ultra
Go to RedScale Ultra Lightroom Preset →
Go to RedScale Ultra Capture One Preset →
Zetra 100
Go to Zetra 100 Lightroom Preset →
Go to Zetra 100 Capture One Preset →
Rose Spectra XT
Go to Rose Spectra XT Lightroom Preset →
Go to Rose Spectra XT Capture One Preset →
Check out the Sony Film Simulations!
As you can see, by using the provided Color Settings you can actually get more than 40 color variations. The list includes real film stock simulations, such as:
Agfa Precisa film simulation
Fuji Astia film simulation
Acros film simulation
Kodak film simulations like the Kodachrome 64 or Kodak Ultra Max.
P.S: These are high accuracy film simulations, and it’s super important to use the settings provided for best color reproduction!
And, if you're feeling creative, you can try out the original film recipes that I made using Sony’s Picture Profiles, like:
Vektro 100
EvPro+
Superia 400
DreamNeg
MidRed Infra
Rose Spectra
and more...
These film simulation recipes are the product of my own creative process and they were done to my own liking. As they are designed to provide a touch of film look to your shots, it’s not vital to respect the color settings. They’re not trying to emulate film stocks, their goal is just to give great colors out of camera + an analog feel.
So, feel free to play around with the color settings and come up with your own unique variations.
Hey, you! We also have a forum where you can connect with like-minded photographers and share tips and tricks about the Sony film simulations. Connect with others now → |
Discover Your Favorite Sony Profile Pictures and Transform Your Workflow
I hope these samples combined with the Film Simulation Chart will guide you in choosing your favorite Sony Film Simulation Recipe.
With over 40 film emulation recipes, this package offers the versatility you need.
If you master how to use these film simulations, it’s all you really need to achieve a wealth of specific color palettes in your shots. For any situation.
Whether you're looking to replicate popular film stocks or create your own unique look, the Sony Profile Picture Recipes should do the trick.
Sony film simulations offer a quick and easy way to achieve a professional, film-like quality in your images, with the added bonus of time-saved in post-processing.
So — dive into the world of film emulations and maximize your Sony camera’s potential → Check out the Sony Film Simulations!